Southwestern Diabetic Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation, was founded in 1947 with the sole purpose of operating a residential camp for children who have diabetes. Camp Sweeney opened in 1950, under the direction of Dr. J. Shirley Sweeney, a Dallas endocrinologist, and has provided a positive turning point in the lives of more than 20,000 children.

After 60 years of operation, Camp Sweeney is regarded as one of the largest and most effective diabetes educational facilities in the world. Camp Sweeney offers the only 3-week residential diabetic life skills training program in the United States. Campers learn to recognize and treat the early warning signs of dangerously high and low blood sugar levels. By coaching the skills necessary to maintain tight control of their diabetes, we are equipping this generation to minimize the complications of diabetes in hopes that they will be good candidates once the cure for diabetes is available.